


warriors

by inkin_brushes



Series: Immortals (Vamp AU) [15]
Category: VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-05-27 07:07:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6274612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkin_brushes/pseuds/inkin_brushes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Sanghyuk filed for termination of your mentorship.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	warriors

Sanghyuk stared into his closet, reflecting sourly that he really needed to do laundry. He’d taken three nights off, he really should have done _something_ productive with that time. Wallowing was not productive. 

He glanced at his clock, seeing it was twelve after nine. Whatever, he didn’t have time to worry about looking rumpled, he should have left for work almost fifteen minutes ago. He did not want to be late, not tonight, he had shit to do. Important people to talk to.

As he pulled an old band shirt over his head, he wondered if he really wanted to go through with this, but the doubt passed quickly. Yes, it was for the best, for all parties involved, especially in light of Sanghyuk’s little deal with Jaehwan last night. He needed to take action for what was best for him, his own well being. He’d done so with Jaehwan, last night, setting rules and boundaries, and now he was going to take that initiative with the rest of things.

Sanghyuk shook himself and tugged on his shoes before rummaging in his closet once more and resurfacing holding an old, high school sweatshirt that was not nearly as warm as he wanted and had far too many moth holes. It would have to do. “Instead of bringing me a fucking book, Jaehwan, you should have brought my good jacket back,” he grumbled to himself.

The wards along his house rippled, and Sanghyuk froze midway through pulling on the sweater, yanking it off his face and looking to his bedroom window as if speaking Jaehwan’s name might have summoned him. His window showed only the darkened night sky, though his wards continued to ping. So Sanghyuk knew his visitor was a vampire.

Then a knock fell on the door. 

Sanghyuk’s tattoos were chattering at him, tingling, and he tried to quiet them, since, really, he was sure it was just one of the several vampires he knew. When did having vampire friends become something his brain was thinking of as _typical_? He’d adjusted to it mentally far faster than he thought he probably should have. He couldn’t help his physical reaction though, his elevated heart rate, the slight shortening of breath, as he walked through his house to the front door. 

“Jaehwan?” Sanghyuk called, wondering what the fuck Jaehwan was doing out so early in the night and why he was _here_. Sanghyuk had told him he’d be at work for the first half of the night, and he didn’t want to be any later than he already was. 

There was a pause, and then a very decisive, “No,” came muffled through the wood of the door. “Open up, kiddo.”

Sanghyuk undid the deadbolt and then wrenched the door open, to reveal Wonshik standing on his welcome mat. “Wonshik,” Sanghyuk said, voice a little breathless. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Wonshik echoed, and then there was silence as they stared at one another for a moment, the knowledge of what happened several nights ago hanging heavy between them. It was awkward, on Sanghyuk’s end, because Wonshik knew, and not just by word of mouth, but because he’d come home and _seen_. He’d seen Sanghyuk sweaty and bloody and naked in his maker’s bed. 

Sanghyuk was not going to let himself be mortified by this. “What’s up?” he said, aiming for casual and feeling like he managed fairly well. “I was just about to head for work.”

Wonshik seemed to shake himself, and then he looked down, and Sanghyuk saw he was holding the jacket he’d left at Jaehwan’s place. “I thought you might need this,” Wonshik said, holding it out, and Sanghyuk grinned at him, something settling inside him. He took the jacket from Wonshik’s hands, reaching over the threshold to do so, and Wonshik added, “I was hoping to talk to you a bit, but I don’t want to make you late—”

“No, it’s fine, you can walk with me and we’ll talk.” Sanghyuk tossed his holey sweatshirt behind himself so it landed on the floor of the kitchen and then pulled his jacket on. It had a high collar, which was nice; it hid the bandages he’d used to cover the bite marks. They were healing well, scabbed over mostly. If anyone did see the band-aids he would say they were covering hickies, that he’d had a bit too much fun during his three nights off

“Uh,” Wonshik said, taking a nervous step back as Sanghyuk stepped out of his apartment, letting the door swing shut behind him, “I’m here alone. I figured we’d talk over the threshold—”

Sanghyuk smothered a smile, twisting his key in the lock. “Are you worried you’re going to try and eat me?” he asked, teasing. 

Wonshik spluttered in a most un-vampiric fashion, and Sanghyuk laughed, leading the way outside.

“If you’re here by yourself, where are the others?” Sanghyuk asked, shoes scraping against the pavement while Wonshik floated along by his side, silent as a ghost. 

“I don’t know where Jaehwan is,” Wonshik said, a little stiff, “but Hongbin is at Hakyeon’s, with Taekwoon, and I’ll be meeting them shortly.” At Sanghyuk’s questioning glance, Wonshik added, “We’re moving our stuff tonight.”

“Ah,” Sanghyuk said, and then silence fell again. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Wonshik to lay into him like Hakyeon had. He knew Wonshik wasn’t just dropping by to talk about the weather. 

When Sanghyuk glanced over at Wonshik, he had that sort of vaguely constipated look on his face that indicated deep thought, and Sanghyuk decided to take pity on him. “Are you here to lecture me about sleeping with Jaehwan as well?” Sanghyuk asked, tone light.

Wonshik made a small, choking noise, not meeting Sanghyuk’s eyes. He was looking at the sky, at the buildings, anywhere but at Sanghyuk. “No.”

“Good, because I’ve had my fill of that,” Sanghyuk said. 

“Just—” Wonshik began, touching his fingertips to Sanghyuk’s shoulder, making his wards buzz, “tell me honestly, did Jaehwan— did he hurt you?”

Sanghyuk stopped walking so he could face Wonshik squarely, and Wonshik stopped as well, looking down at his feet, fidgeting. He was such a terrible vampire. “It was consensual, Wonshik,” Sanghyuk said softly. 

Wonshik exhaled slowly, the air making his cheeks puff out, and he took his cap off to rub at the back of his head agitatedly. Were he still human, he probably would have been blushing. “It didn’t look that way to me.”

Now it was Sanghyuk’s turn to fidget. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m sorry you— I‘m sorry I worried you, and I’m sorry I’ve put you in the middle of all this.” 

Wonshik stuffed the cap back onto his head. “Yeah, well,” he said lowly, beginning to walk again, and Sanghyuk fell into step with him easily, “I just wanted to make sure you were alright.” 

“I am,” Sanghyuk assured him. 

“I just—” Wonshik said, and Sanghyuk braced himself for the denial, for Wonshik to ask if he was _sure_ he was alright, that he hadn’t been glamoured, “Jaehwan, Sanghyuk, really?”

Sanghyuk blinked, taken a little off guard. He’d been expecting Wonshik to do what Hakyeon had, to deny Sanghyuk had made the choice entirely, rather than question _why_ he’d made the choice he had. “I know he’s your maker and everything, but—”

“He’s a dickhead,” Wonshik interrupted.

“That too,” Sanghyuk agreed, and gave a one shouldered shrug. “I didn’t sleep with him because of his sterling personality, I slept with him because he’s— because I wanted him.”

Wonshik looked pained. “But he’s a dickhead.” 

“You said that already,” Sanghyuk said laughingly, but the smile faded off his face as he thought about Wonshik, Jaehwan’s _child_ , disparaging him. Everyone in Jaehwan’s life was so quick to rip Jaehwan apart, both figuratively and literally. It made something in Sanghyuk sad, even though rationally he knew Jaehwan wasn’t worth feeling sad over.

Wonshik noticed the change in the atmosphere. “What is it?”

“I’m just— thinking,” Sanghyuk said, nibbling his bottom lip. “When Hakyeon— when he came for me, he told Jaehwan that if he killed him, Taekwoon would forgive him.”

“It’s true.”

“I know, and it just— it makes me a little sad,” Sanghyuk murmured, shrugging again. “Not sad that Taekwoon loves Hakyeon enough to forgive him, but just that— one of the few people in Jaehwan's life would forgive his killer without hesitation, and not just anyone, but his own _brother_.”

Wonshik chewed on that for a moment before saying slowly, “Jaehwan's made his bed, he can’t act the way he does and then expect to be met with softness. He's my maker, and I still have to hold him at length.” He thought for another second. “He’s not evil, he’s not, he’s just— he’s toxic.”

“I know that too,” Sanghyuk sighed.

Wonshik paused, and when he spoke again, it was tentative, voice small. “I could smell him, when I was standing in the doorway of your apartment.”

Sanghyuk tensed, bracing himself. “Yes,” he said, trying not to sound defensive, “he came by last night.”

Wonshik seemed to be struggling to find the right words. “I am not going to tell you not to— not to indulge this, I guess, because it’s your choice. If you want to sleep with him again then I can’t stop you,” he said, and Sanghyuk knew the surprise was showing on his face. “But be careful, Sanghyuk. Don’t feel bad for Jaehwan, don’t _care_ enough to feel bad about him. I did that, and it blew up in my face.” He was staring hard at Sanghyuk, expression solemn. “All he’ll do is hurt you.”

Sanghyuk met his gaze. “I know, I _know_ , believe me. I’m not going to make that mistake,” he said. “Jaehwan is— there are aspects about him I like and aspects I don’t. It’s like, I could care for him, maybe, if he worked on things, but as it is...” He let himself trail off.

“You can’t change him. He doesnt want to change.”

“I've realized that as well, which is exactly why I’m not going to let myself get invested,” Sanghyuk murmured, very softly. “I’ll be alright, Wonshik. I don’t have any illusions about this, I know we’re not— we’re not meant for that, and I’m fine with it. I’m not Hakyeon, and he’s not Taekwoon, this isn’t the same thing they have, and neither of us want it to be.” He gave Wonshik a weak smile. “I’m not going to fall in love with Jaehwan, I’m just using him for his dick.”

Wonshik made a choked sort of garbled noise, looking mildly horrified, and Sanghyuk’s weak smile grew into a full grin as he began to laugh.

——

Hakyeon’s little car was getting precariously full. 

Wonshik placed the box he was carrying into the backseat carefully, trying very hard to pay attention to Hakyeon’s ranting, though his brain wanted to turn it into buzzing, background noise. 

“And then, and _then_ he called me a hypocrite!” Hakyeon fairly shrieked, barreling past Wonshik and shoving his own box into the backseat far less gently than Wonshik had. Hakyeon whirled, so he could look at Hongbin, who was the one primarily on the receiving end of this story Hakyeon was telling. 

Hongbin’s hands were empty, which meant that the box Hakyeon had just manhandled into the car was the last of them. Wonshik was glad; he’d been worried they might have to make two trips, and with the mood Hakyeon was in, he didn’t think he could deal with that.

Hakyeon was clearly waiting for some sort of reaction to his statement, but Hongbin just gave him a look and said, “Well.”

Hakyeon sucked in a breath, eyes flashing dangerously, and Wonshik spoke quickly. “Hey, uh, that’s the last of the boxes, so we should probably head over to the house now.” 

Hongbin was serene, and from the shadows of the buildings Taekwoon materialized, face blank, and Hakyeon let out a breath slowly. “Fine,” he said, short, snappish, and stomped over to the driver’s side. “Get in, Wonshik.” 

Wonshik looked from Hakyeon to Taekwoon unsurely, closing the door to the backseat. There was no room for either Hongbin or Taekwoon in the car with the boxes piled in the backseat. It had initially been presumed that Hakyeon and Taekwoon would take the car while Wonshik and Hongbin followed on foot. Wonshik put his hand on the handle of the passenger door unsurely, knowing Taekwoon would not be happy with Wonshik and Hakyeon being in such an enclosed space by themselves. 

“I do not think that is wise—” Taekwoon began, ever soft, and Hakyeon spoke loudly over him.

“Too bad,” Hakyeon said simply, as he got into the car. “Come _on_ , Wonshik,” he fairly shouted before slamming his own door shut. 

Wonshik gave Taekwoon an apologetic look, a little frightened, and Taekwoon simply narrowed his eyes at him. Oh god. Wonshik opened the door and slid into the seat, very heavily aware of the fact that if he _did_ vamp out, Taekwoon would probably rip his arm off and then beat him with it. 

Hakyeon started the car and peeled away from the curb a little faster than necessary. Wonshik watched Hongbin and Taekwoon grow smaller in the rearview mirror before the both of them disappeared, probably onto the rooftops of the buildings, following the car. 

“Maybe I should have driven,” Wonshik said, calm despite the fact that Hakyeon had just taken a turn so fast the tires had squealed. A few of the boxes tumbled, hitting the back of Wonshik’s seat. 

“You don’t have a license anymore,” Hakyeon said through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, because if we got pulled over by the cops, me not having a license would be the biggest issue,” Wonshik said, and Hakyeon eased up on the gas a little, some of the tension leaving him. “My poor car.” He patted the dash. 

“It’s mine now,” Hakyeon grumbled. There was silence for a bit, the interior of the car alternating between darkness and watery yellow light whenever they passed underneath a streetlamp. When Hakyeon spoke again, he sounded more like his usual self. “Do you think I’m a hypocrite?”

Despite Hakyeon’s tone, Wonshik knew he should tread carefully here, but he also didn’t want to lie. “I think neither of us are really in a position to judge Sanghyuk’s choices, even if we may not like them.”

Hakyeon grumbled something to himself, then said, “But it’s not the same, you know? I’m not— I’m— Taekwoon is—”

“Taekwoon isn’t Jaehwan, yeah, I know,” Wonshik said, remember Sanghyuk’s words. “But Sanghyuk isn’t you, either, Hakyeon, and he says he’s alright with it. And so long as he’s alright with it, I’m alright with it.” 

“So that’s it then?” Hakyeon said hotly. “You’re just— just fine with them doing this?”

Wonshik thought about it. “I’m upset,” he finally said, “because Jaehwan went behind my back with this, and betrayed me, but I know I shouldn’t have expected anything less from him. I’m also upset because I love Sanghyuk, and I know he deserves better than Jaehwan. But if he wants to fuck Jaehwan, then it’s not really my place to tell him he can’t.” He touched Hakyeon’s shoulder lightly, feeling Hakyeon’s wards tingle, a bit, and it reminded him of earlier, when he’d touched Sanghyuk. “I know that to us, Sanghyuk is just a kid, but I was talking to Hongbin and he— he told me to think back to when I was eighteen, and all the dumb shit we did, and that we should probably lay off and just let this happen. That we need to let Sanghyuk handle this his way.” 

Hakyeon sighed heavily. “Always with what Hongbin said,” he muttered, “I’d forgotten how you used to do that.”

The edges of Wonshik’s mouth quirked. “I’m not taking his side over yours, Hakyeon, I just think he has a more objective view of this than we do.”

“Yeah, I— yeah,” Hakyeon said, scowling a little. “Taekwoon says that we should — that _I_ should — back off a bit.”

“I think he’s right, Hakyeon. We’ve said our pieces, we can’t force Sanghyuk to do what we think is right. And Hongbin pointed out that the more we push Sanghyuk, the more he’ll pull. He and Jaehwan are alike in that. The more everyone else says no, the more determined it makes them.” Wonshik paused, before plunging on. “And I think— I think you need to apologize to Sanghyuk, even if you think you were right, to do what you did. He loves you, but he’s upset about the other day.”

Hakyeon growled. “I know,” he muttered. “Maybe if I reconcile with him he’ll see _reason_.” Wonshik sighed, and Hakyeon snapped, “What? I just want him to come out of this okay, Wonshik.”

“I think he will, even if he does this his way, and not yours,” Wonshik said. “He’s smarter, tougher, than either of us have ever given him credit for. I think he’ll be able to match Jaehwan, in a way Jaehwan hasn’t anticipated.”

Hakyeon grumbled something, not deigning that with a proper reply, and Wonshik sighed again. He let it go. Just like he couldn’t convince Sanghyuk to not fuck Jaehwan again, he couldn’t convince Hakyeon to not be a busybody. It was at the core of his being. And if Wonshik trusted Sanghyuk to handle Jaehwan, then he could trust that he’d be able to handle Hakyeon’s meddling as well. 

Just probably not in a way Hakyeon was going to be happy with.

——

It wasn’t very late, when Sanghyuk got out of work, but he was quite tired regardless. All he’d done was talked to a lot of people, and filled out a bunch of paperwork, but it had left him emotionally drained. He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, finding tension there. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep, when his brain was buzzing at him like this. He’d need to find some way to unwind, maybe resume his SVU marathon.

As he trudged up the stairs to his apartment, he found his tattoos prickling, and he slowed, casting his senses out. There was a vampire nearby, but he was having trouble getting a reading on exactly how close it was. It felt— felt faint, and yet still close. 

As he resumed walking up the steps, carefully, trying to gauge the vampire’s proximity, he found it remained faint, but somehow also felt like it was getting nearer. He frowned, confused, before he realized— if it was inside a residence—

He reached his door, sliding the key into the lock. After pausing a breath, he pushed the door open, and with it open, the spells of the house parted, and the feeling of vampire spilled out, heavier than it had been before. The wards on Sanghyuk’s place had kept it in. That meant the vampire was, indeed, inside his apartment, which narrowed it down to one suspect. Even so, Sanghyuk couldn’t calm his racing heart as he stepped inside and shut the door. 

Jaehwan was lounging on Sanghyuk’s couch, bare feet poking out of his slacks, with Sanghyuk’s fucking laptop on his thighs, watching— something. The volume was low, but as Sanghyuk stalked over, the indiscernible hum became tinny moans. Sanghyuk felt himself blushing.

“Hello, love,” Jaehwan said, eyes flicking up to Sanghyuk, looming over him. He hadn’t bothered to move, and he looked back at the screen, seeming disinterested. “Your porn is boring.”

Sanghyuk placed his hands on the back of the screen, flipping the laptop closed. “You’re an ass,” he said lowly, leaning in so he could say it in Jaehwan’s face.

“You’ve known this from the start,” Jaehwan murmured. He took advantage of Sanghyuk’s proximity and darted forward, nipping at Sanghyuk’s bottom lip playfully. Sanghyuk’s heart stuttered, the quick, oily movement causing his instincts to kick in more than he’d like. He wondered if he’d ever get used to it, like Hakyeon had seemed to with Taekwoon. 

Sanghyuk drew back, taking the laptop with him and holding it to his chest, like some sort of shield. “How did you even get in?”

“You left the window open from last night,” Jaehwan said, and the way he _last night_ had Sanghyuk clutching the laptop tighter, face feeling warm at the thought of it. He knew he’d been stupid to agree to Jaehwan’s ridiculous proposal, more stupid still to then let Jaehwan into his home. He’d watched Jaehwan step into his room lightly with equal measures of anticipation, concern, and guilt, positively vibrating with tension, wondering if he’d fucked up yet again, trusting Jaehwan this far— and then Jaehwan had reached out, sliding an arm around Sanghyuk’s bare back to pull him closer carefully. Sanghyuk had braced himself for roughness, but Jaehwan had simply lowered his head, kissing Sanghyuk slowly, languidly, like he was trying to take Sanghyuk apart at the seams, until the minutes had bled into hours, and Sanghyuk was pliant and weak, arching against Jaehwan, gasping into his mouth—

“I figured if you didn’t want me here, you would have locked the window,” Jaehwan was saying, and Sanghyuk shook himself, coming back to the now.

“I just— you don’t need a renewed invite every time you want to come in?” Sanghyuk asked, dismayed despite already suspecting this. Taekwoon came and went from Hakyeon’s place freely, but Sanghyuk thought perhaps that was due to the fact that they lived at one another’s places, rather than Hakyeon’s initial invite still being open.

“Nope,” Jaehwan said, getting to his feet smoothly. Sanghyuk shivered. “You seem offput by it. Should I have sat on your window ledge until you got home?”

“I just wasn’t expecting you to be _in my apartment watching my porn_ ,” Sanghyuk said. He thought this was perfectly reasonable. He’d done the equivalent of giving Jaehwan a key without realizing it. 

Jaehwan made a gesture, like he was waving away a fly. “You can always rescind my invitation should you so choose,” he said, and then he pouted. “But that would hurt my feelings.”

Sanghyuk snorted, some of the adrenaline fading, leaving his hands trembling in its absence. It was odd, how Jaehwan was a three hundred year old vampire, dangerous as a loaded gun, but he was also such a fucking _dweeb_. 

“You don’t have feelings,” Sanghyuk muttered, placing the laptop down on the coffee table. He turned, walking to his bedroom. As he went, he reached up, behind himself, grabbing onto the collar of his shirt and tugging it over his head. 

Sanghyuk could guess well enough why Jaehwan was here, no point wasting time with small talk, he figured. He could either boot Jaehwan out or— do what the two of them seemed to do best, and Sanghyuk found he was surprisingly game for an encore of last night. It was a potentially pleasant way to unwind after tonight’s shift, and Sanghyuk was hopeful. Last night had been nice, nicer than— before. A bit slower, a bit softer, more simmering heat rather than rough, painful vampire urgency. More like the start of things, when Jaehwan had first been luring Sanghyuk in, rather than the night they’d fucked. He liked it. He liked it a lot. 

Sanghyuk hoped this wasn’t history repeating itself. He wasn't going to _let_ history repeat itself. 

“I do too!” Jaehwan said indignantly, following on Sanghyuk’s heels. 

Sanghyuk tossed his dirty shirt into the corner of the room, where a small pile of laundry sat. “Somewhere in your blackened, shrivelled heart?” he asked, aiming for playful but it came out a little biting.

“Deeper than that,” Jaehwan said, and when Sanghyuk turned, he was closer to Sanghyuk than he’d thought. Sanghyuk would have tripped back, but Jaehwan’s arm snagged him around the waist, tugging him close so their chests were pressed flush. Sanghyuk’s heart was sent hammering again as his wards jerkily went off, and Jaehwan grinned at him, fangs running out. “Maybe somewhere in my lower intestine,” he said.

“You have such a way with words,” Sanghyuk grumbled, eyes drawn to the sharp glint of Jaehwan’s fangs. 

Jaehwan noticed, and his grin widened. He touched his tongue to one sharp canine, and Sanghyuk’s mouth fell open. “Shall I bite you tonight?” Jaehwan asked softly. 

Sanghyuk swallowed, dragging his eyes away, to the top button of Jaehwan’s shirt, with effort. “No,” Sanghyuk murmured, “I’ve been bitten too much already.” As if that wasn't painfully obvious with his shirt off. He’d covered the bites on his neck with band-aids, but hadn’t bothered with the ones a typical shirt would cover. His chest and shoulders were peppered with scabs.

Jaehwan sighed. “Fine,” he said, leaning down to nuzzle at Sanghyuk’s pulse point, “even though you like it.” 

Sanghyuk blushed, tipping his head, giving Jaehwan more access to his neck. Jaehwan nipped playfully at his skin, not biting down, and Sanghyuk gasped. “Can we—” he began, then stopped. 

“Mm?” Jaehwan hummed, nosing along Sanghyuk’s jawline, lips just brushing his skin. He pulled back enough so that he could meet Sanghyuk’s gaze, eyes heavy lidded.

Sanghyuk looked into his eyes. They were brown, pretty, with long lashes, just— just eyes, and Sanghyuk wondered when they’d become that, when he’d stopped being afraid. “I want— I mean— I’d like to start where we’d left off last night,” he said, feeling shy and oddly guilty in equal amounts.

Where they’d left off was with Sanghyuk underneath Jaehwan on the bed, hips stuttering upwards as he ground their cocks together through several layers of fabric, with Sanghyuk gasping into Jaehwan’s mouth as he came, blushing as his cock twitched beneath his loosening towel, with Jaehwan slapping his hands away when Sanghyuk had reached for his slacks, wanting to return the favor. “Not tonight, love,” he’d murmured, “I want to build this back up slowly.” He’d kissed Sanghyuk chastely then, and added cheekily, “Besides, I owed you a good orgasm, after you so gallantly rescued me.”

Sanghyuk had been too wiped to come up with a better comeback than, “You’re such an ass.” But he was glad for it, glad Jaehwan had pulled back, had left, hadn’t run him into the ground again. 

Now, Jaehwan simply arched an eyebrow at him. “Where we left off?”

“It’s— I want to—” Sanghyuk blushed harder, not wanting to have to say it. He pulled away a bit, so he had room to trail his hands down Jaehwan’s chest, until his fingertips caught on the waistband of Jaehwan’s slacks. They were black slacks tonight, grey button down shirt, black leather belt. Sanghyuk picked at the buckle, not undoing it, just hinting. 

Jaehwan had a glint in his eyes. “You want to touch me?” he asked, teasing. 

“Not if you’re going to be a dick about it,” Sanghyuk said, eyes narrowing. “I just— I didn’t really have a chance to, when we— when we had sex.” That was so hard to say, felt strange in his mouth. “You held still for like, five seconds at the start and the rest of the time I was just struggling to keep up.”

“Ah,” Jaehwan said. He tipped his head a bit, studying Sanghyuk’s face. “Yes,” he said, and it was strangely intense. “Yes.” He let Sanghyuk’s waist go, shifting his weight back to give Sanghyuk more room, and touched a fingertip to the top button of his shirt. “Start here,” he suggested, voice silky. 

Then he let his hands drop to his sides, a small smirk curving the corners of his lips. 

Sanghyuk gulped, hands stuttering before he brought them up, plucking at the buttons of Jaehwan’s shirt, undoing them one by one. It was embarrassing somehow, maybe because Jaehwan was so focused on him, standing perfectly still, clearly amused. Sanghyuk didn’t know how to do this in a way that was arousing, wished he knew how to bring Jaehwan to his knees. He supposed this was the only way to learn.

Once the last button was undone, Sanghyuk paused before pushing the material off Jaehwan’s shoulders. He sighed silently as his fingertips brushed over Jaehwan’s shoulders, down his arms, until the shirt fell into a pool of material on the floor. Sanghyuk was struck again by how physically appealing Jaehwan was, even if his personality was the equivalent of lemon juice in the eye. He was so slim, shoulders and hips narrow, muscle definition looking like it was just in its starting stages. It made Sanghyuk wonder how old Jaehwan had been when he was turned. Judging by his narrow shoulders, Sanghyuk didn’t think he’d been much older than Sanghyuk was now. One day he’d ask. 

Sanghyuk ran his fingertips over Jaehwan’s collarbones. “You’re so attractive,” he muttered, and it sounded less appreciative and more just grumpy, for which he was glad. It made it less mortifying.

The smirk had faded off Jaehwan’s face, and now he was just watching Sanghyuk with the intensity of a predator stalking prey. There was a tenseness, coiled in his body, that Sanghyuk recognized, and it made him wonder if Jaehwan was actually going to let Sanghyuk go on with this or if he was about to be tossed back onto the bed and—

“Is this alright for you?” Sanghyuk asked, and fuck he sounded so young to his own ears, so unsure. He let his hands trail down Jaehwan’s chest again, fingertips ghosting over Jaehwan’s nipples with no reaction. “I mean— are you— you’re not bored?” 

“No,” Jaehwan said, and it was hissed out through his teeth. Slowly, carefully, Jaehwan took Sanghyuk’s wrists and guided them so his fingertips were once again resting on his belt buckle. The hard line of Jaehwan’s cock was obvious through the material of his slacks. This all felt so familiar. 

Sanghyuk took a deep breath and, with an efficiency that surprised him, quickly undid Jaehwan’s belt buckle and then slid it out of the loops, letting the belt fall onto the floor with Jaehwan’s shirt. It clinked, softly, as it hit the carpet, and Sanghyuk swallowed thickly, before he undid the button of Jaehwan’s slacks. He was careful, as he dragged the zipper down, because he suspected— yes, Jaehwan wasn’t wearing underwear. Sanghyuk tugged lightly on Jaehwan’s slacks, letting them slip down his slim hips and freeing his cock, fully hard.

Sanghyuk looked up, briefly, at Jaehwan’s face, making sure this was okay— before he took Jaehwan’s cock in his hand, gentle. Jaehwan’s temperature had spiked up, and he was hot against Sanghyuk’s palm. There was precome beginning to bead at the tip, which was surprising to Sanghyuk. 

He had never given a handjob before. He’d taken care of himself, obviously, quite a lot, but the angle was foreign to him, the weight and feeling of Jaehwan’s cock different from his own. He made a loose circle with his fingers, stroking carefully, listening for reactions that didn’t come. Jaehwan was so quiet, so still.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Sanghyuk said, laughing a little breathlessly. 

“Here,” Jaehwan whispered, moving Sanghyuk’s hands, “two hands, grasp like— yes—”

Sanghyuk listened, moving the way Jaehwan showed him, still slow, still clumsy, but better. Jaehwan’s hands fell back again, letting Sanghyuk explore for himself. Sanghyuk paused a moment to rub his thumb through the precome on the tip of Jaehwan’s cock, then dragged the pad of his thumb down, circling it over the sensitive part beneath the head.

Jaehwan exhaled, and it was almost shaky. “This is maddening.”

Sanghyuk’s hands stuttered, sudden embarrassment that he’d done something wrong coloring his cheeks. “Did I— should I stop?”

“No,” Jaehwan said, shaking his head for emphasis, hair falling over his eyes. “Fuck, no.” 

Sanghyuk figured that was a good sign. He picked up his rhythm again, a bit more confident, and watched as Jaehwan’s eyes fluttered shut, his hands balling into fists at his sides. 

“I want your mouth on my cock,” Jaehwan said softly, and just like that, Sanghyuk lost his rhythm, hands stilling for a moment. Jaehwan blinked his eyes open slowly. “I want to fuck your pretty face.”

Sanghyuk’s breath hitched, and he licked his lips, unconscious of the action until Jaehwan’s eyes darted down to his mouth. “I don’t know how to do that either,” Sanghyuk said. 

“I’ll teach you,” Jaehwan promised. “Another night, I’ll teach you.” 

“Another night?” Sanghyuk echoed, wondering what that meant for tonight.

“Yes,” Jaehwan said simply, and then he was stepping away. Sanghyuk watched him, hands shaking a little, feeling lost. Jaehwan simply shimmied out of his slacks the rest of the way, stepping out of them. It was strange, how he could be so— so human, in shape, and yet so fucking wrong, in the most haunting, ethereal way. In the silvery moonlight, he was almost unreal. 

Jaehwan looked at him, the way he slowly blinked his eyes catlike. “Strip,” he whispered, and Sanghyuk— he obeyed, even though he knew they couldn’t have sex yet, he’d promised himself—

“I’m still sore, from last time,” Sanghyuk said as he shoved his jeans off his hips, kicking them away impatiently. He was fully hard, ready, wanting. It was mortifying.

“Oh, I’m not going to fuck you,” Jaehwan said, approaching him. He placed his hands on Sanghyuk’s shoulders, lightly, almost like he was afraid to be touching him. 

“Why are you being so gentle?” Sanghyuk asked.

Jaehwan guided Sanghyuk backwards, until the backs of his knees hit the bed, and then he sat down. Jaehwan surprised him by straddling his waist, forcing Sanghyuk to look up at him more than usual. “I promised to make concessions for your mortality, remember?” Jaehwan murmured. “And I want to make sure that when we finally fuck again, you’re fucking gagging for it.” He nuzzled against Sanghyuk’s neck, rolling his hips forward, so their cocks slid against each other, trapped between their bellies. “And you will be.” 

Sanghyuk gasped, grabbing at Jaehwan’s hips. Jaehwan laughed, the sound low in his throat, and then his mouth was on Sanghyuk’s, the first kiss of the night. Sanghyuk hadn’t realized how much he wanted it until that moment, and he let his mouth fall open, flicking his tongue out, running it over the fangs that he fucking wished he could have against his throat—

Jaehwan laughed again when Sanghyuk moaned into his mouth. “Lie back, love,” he whispered against Sanghyuk’s lips, and Sanghyuk obeyed, flopping backwards onto the mattress. Jaehwan remained straddled above him, and as Sanghyuk watched he trailed his hand down, fingers tripping lightly over Sanghyuk’s sternum, then his belly, before he wrapped them around both of their cocks. 

“Oh,” Sanghyuk said, eyes fluttering shut. Yes, this was— yes. This worked.

Jaehwan didn’t bother teasing much, and Sanghyuk couldn’t work out if that was another _concession_ or if maybe, Jaehwan was more turned on than he was letting on. His hand was sure as it stroked over their cocks, and Sanghyuk couldn’t help nudging his hips up rhythmically, the underside of his cock dragging against Jaehwan’s. 

“Jaehwan,” Sanghyuk gasped, feeling close, and it had barely taken any time at all. 

“Come,” Jaehwan said, voice rough. “You’re so easy, my pretty little human. Come for me.” 

Sanghyuk whimpered, shame tinting his cheeks pink. Jaehwan rolled his hips forward, hand moving faster, and Sanghyuk cried out and came, his cock twitching against Jaehwan’s fingers.

Sanghyuk was still shuddering with the aftershocks when Jaehwan surprised him by coming as well, with a soft exhalation. Because of the angle, Sanghyuk on his back, Jaehwan’s come landed on Sanghyuk’s stomach along with Sanghyuk’s own. It was gross, but Sanghyuk kind of liked it.

As Sanghyuk blinked up at the ceiling, Jaehwan began to chuckle to himself. “What?” Sanghyuk murmured, wondering if he’d done something. 

“I haven’t done that — mutually jerked myself and another person off — since _I_ was a human teenager,” he said, still grinning. “It was somewhat refreshing.” 

Sanghyuk thought maybe he should be offended, but he didn’t get a chance to reply because Jaehwan was leaning down, lips parting so he could drag his tongue through the mess on Sanghyuk’s stomach, his chest. 

“You’re gross,” Sanghyuk muttered, but when Jaehwan moved up to kiss him, he obligingly lapped the come off Jaehwan’s tongue.

——

Hakyeon woke as the sun was going down, the warm light streaming through the slim cracks in the blinds. It was a bit odd, to be woken up by the sunlight, to open his eyes and see his own ceiling, stained from when the roof had begun to leak last year. He’d just needed some time to think, some time alone. His wards might have been used to Taekwoon, as used to him as they could be, but they were never truly quiet when he was near. It was nice to have some peace.

He groaned as he sat up, his shoulders and lower back aching a little. It was stupid, he’d had three vamps with him last night, he should have let them handle hauling the boxes to and from the car. They couldn’t get sore. 

His bed was warm, and the sunlight was turning from golden to pink, and soon it would fade completely. Hakyeon didn’t have to be at work until midnight, had an easy patrol shift on the north side, so he could still go back to sleep. Or, he could take a bath and think about what he was going to say when— if— he saw Sanghyuk tonight. Wonshik had said that Sanghyuk had gone in to work last night, so, hopefully, he’d be there tonight as well. 

The pendant around Hakyeon’s neck pinged, a single, sweet note. “Yes,” Hakyeon said, reaching up to hold it against his palm. “I’ll do that.”

He took his time running his bath, trying to make sure he stayed calm. Wonshik was right, he was coming at this from a place of too much emotion, and it wasn’t good for him. He needed to try and keep his head. 

The bubblegum scented bubble bath had run out months ago, so now Hakyeon was using peppermint. He’d bought it in bulk after Christmas, on sale. Last night Wonshik had made a comment about him smelling like an elf fart, but Taekwoon never seemed bothered. Hakyeon was, somewhere in the back of his mind, amused at how he always smelled like something edible, considering he was constantly being nibbled on. 

As he soaked in his festive bathwater, Hakyeon resigned himself to the fact that Wonshik was right, and he would have to apologize to Sanghyuk. He wanted to make things better between them, because he didn’t want to lose Sanghyuk’s friendship. He knew he’d crossed a line somewhere along the way. He wouldn’t apologize for— for feeling the way he did about this _thing_ Sanghyuk had going on with Jaehwan, but he’d apologize for meddling when he shouldn’t have. 

Hakyeon needed to fix this. Maybe if he did, Sanghyuk would eventually come around. 

By the time Hakyeon had to leave, he was feeling pretty good about everything, ready to take on the events of the night. It would work out, he would talk to Sanghyuk, and everything would be fine.

When Hakyeon got into HQ it was mildly busy, lots of people coming in for the same shift Hakyeon was. There was a bright yellow post-it note on Hakyeon’s file for tonight, saying that Supervisory Agent Wu Fan wanted to see him before he headed out. Hakyeon peeled the note off so he could bring it closer to his face, like examining it at close range would tell him what the fuck Kris wanted from him. 

Unfortunately, it didn’t, and none of the other hunters clocking in for their shifts were looking at Hakyeon like they knew something was off. Hakyeon shrugged, crumpling the note up and tossing it in the trash as he made his way to the stairwell. Hopefully whatever it was wouldn’t take too long; he wanted to be ready to leave as soon as Sanghyuk got here. 

The brass plate on Kris’s door gleamed in the fluorescent lighting as Hakyeon knocked on the door sharply. 

“Come in,” Kris called from the other side.

Once Hakyeon opened the door he could see that Kris was alone in his office, sitting in his large leather desk chair, which made Hakyeon feel a bit more at ease. He sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs Kris had for visitors, back straight, hands folded in his lap primly as he stared at Kris, waiting. 

There were several files on Kris’s desk, and he placed one of his overly large hands on the topmost one. “This is your report from four nights ago,” he said, not bothering with greetings. He moved the file, fingertips resting on another. “And this is Jongwoon’s.” Kris eyed Hakyeon, expression unreadable. “It’s come to my attention you broke protocol.”

Hakyeon’s mouth twisted, and he gave a one shouldered shrug, trying to seem casually indifferent. “I suppose.” 

“You went off alone.”

“Yes,” Hakyeon said, meeting Kris’s gaze, head held high. “I’ve done it before, because I don’t need a damn babysitter. I _can_ do missions on my own if need be.” 

“It’s not just about your safety, Hakyeon,” Kris said tightly. “There’s a reason we have these safeguards in place.” 

“Is that what this is about?” Hakyeon sat back in his chair a little, knowing he was being insolent but he just didn’t have the patience to be scolded tonight about things he literally didn’t give a shit about anymore.

“Partially,” Kris said, “but there’s more to it than that. You killed a vamp that night.”

Hakyeon blinked, remembering— the anger, the blood, the shock on the vampire’s face. “I did.”

“And you were seen,” Kris said, the sentence almost a question. But he knew it for fact, the sudden tightening of the muscles of Kris’s jaw let Hakyeon know he was gritting his teeth. 

For the first time in the conversation, Hakyeon looked away. 

Kris huffed out a breath, shifting forward so his chair creaked a little. The sound of shuffling papers let Hakyeon know he was looking for another file, and Hakyeon glanced up to see him brandishing a rather thick folder. “It took me some time to hear of this,” Kris said, letting the folder fall back onto the desk with a moderate flop. “It had to go through several channels first. The person who saw you — an older man, who’s apparently been homeless for several years — had tried to sell the story to a few news stations. None had bitten, since he didn’t seem the most reliable witness, and he was just this side of too passionate, and the story was a bit far fetched.” Kris laughed, the sound humorless. “I mean, some— some _creature_ strong enough to wrestle down a vamp— that wasn’t a demon, or worse? Sounds like something for the trash tabloids, not a reputable news site. But the stations had to report what they’d been told to the VCF, as is the law in any incident relating to vampires.” There was a sinking feeling in Hakyeon’s stomach as Kris stared at him. The VCF getting involved was never good. “It took the VCF a bit of time to locate the man, on the streets as he was, but he told them a story that made more sense to them than it did to the news stations. They brought him in for a more detailed interview—” Kris finally looked away so he could flip the file open and pull a paper out, which he shoved at Hakyeon, “And they had him talk to a sketch artist to generate a sketch of the thing that killed that vamp.”

Hakyeon was already wincing in anticipation as he picked the paper up gingerly. On the paper was his face, etched out in pencil. A few of the minor details were off, but it was unmistakably him. 

Well, at least he knew for certain he hadn’t hallucinated the man.

When Kris spoke again, it was very soft. “Do you realize how bad this is.”

Hakyeon stared down at his likeness, and it seemed to stare back, boring holes into him. “Yeah, I— yeah.” He was having trouble finding his words.

“The VCF are the ones who picked up the vamp’s body,” Kris said, “because we, not knowing you’d been seen, left it for them. I pulled that file as well.” He tapped another file. “It was a gruesome scene, not a clean death, not a proper execution.” Suddenly Hakyeon felt small under Kris’s judgemental gaze. He’d been trained to be better than this. Hunters may be of a mind that vampires were monsters, but they still believed they deserved to be put down cleanly. Hakyeon, especially, should know the importance of it. “They used the man’s story to connect it to you, and they think they’re looking for a rogue hunter, maybe a sorcerer that never fully finished training. But they’ve classified you as a high level hazard.”

That was mildly insulting. Only older vamps and demons and maybe some weres were stuffed in that category. “I’m not—” Hakyeon began hotly, but Kris interrupted him.

“Aren't you?” Kris said, snappish. “It’s illegal to be a hunter in itself, and all the laws you break along the way for it— spelled tattoos, warded weapons, and then there’s the fact that _technically_ we’re fraternizing with vampires, even if that fraternization only goes so far as seeking them out to kill them. It’s still a felony.” Hakyeon knew that, and he’d never been much concerned, mostly because he’d never thought he’d get caught. “They’d be after you anyway for all that, but if they think you’re off your rocker, and magical to boot— I mean, Hakyeon, what were you _thinking_?”

“I— I was—” Hakyeon didn’t know how to explain this away, didn’t know how to articulate the way the walls felt like they were closing in on him without divulging all the events of late. 

As he floundered, Kris yanked several photos out of a folder, slapping them down on the desk for Hakyeon to see. They were pictures of the vamp, in the alleyway, after Hakyeon had finished with it. “This is horrific,” said Kris. “I can’t even— can’t even believe it was you. There’s _twenty-seven_ stab wounds here, most inflicted after the blow that destroyed the heart.”

That was unpleasantly jarring for Hakyeon to hear. He remembered inflicting less than half of those wounds. “I— I don’t remember doing that,” he said truthfully.

Kris sat back, rubbing a hand over his face. “Are you saying it wasnt you?”

“No, Hakyeon murmured, “it was me.” He picked up one of the photos, the body bleached out by the camera flash, blood smeared everywhere, then he moved his eyes to the sketch of his own face. “I remember— being in the club, and storming out of it. I wasn’t— I wasn’t in a good place, that night. The vamp thought I was an easy target and I just— I snapped.”

Kris sighed, the sound tired. “Hakyeon,” he began quietly, “you haven’t been— you haven’t been yourself, not for a long time. You’ve been crumbling ever since Hongbin was turned, and then Wonshik— doing what he did, it changed you. It’s like you’ve been— been fading, turning into a shade of the person and hunter you were before. I hardly recognize you anymore.”

Hakyeon’s hands had started to tremble, and he closed them into fists, pressing them against his stomach. When he'd first begun this relationship with Taekwoon he'd resolved his conflicting morals by trying to box everything into separate parts of himself. But as time went on and things happened, as Hakyeon's love for Taekwoon, for Wonshik and Hongbin, for these _vampires_ , seeped into his job, seeped into his very bones, he found it harder and harder to keep these aspects of himself from tainting one another. As a hunter, he could feel no softness for vampires, that side of him had to see things in terms of black and white, had to be righteous and _burning_ , but as a human who was so desperately in love with a vampire he was almost sick with it, he couldn't be anything but muddied grey, sleeping in the cool darkness far from the sunlight. 

And even after all this time, these parts of himself still couldn't be reconciled, and he didn't know how to give one up without losing himself in the process.

 _I’m being split apart_ , Hakyeon thought, wanting to scream it. _I’m not losing my mind, I’m not becoming one of those hunters, pitiful creatures who’d lost themselves somewhere in the night._

But what he said instead was, “I’m handling it.” His voice came out rough. 

“Are you? You just— you seem like you’re losing it,” Kris said, and Hakyeon frowned, wanting to interrupt, but Kris was continuing. “And now this thing with Sanghyuk filing for termination of your mentorship—”

Hakyeon jerked like he’d been shocked, and he leaned forward quickly, placing his hands on Kris’s desk. “What?”

Kris stuttered, pulling back, like he was unnerved by Hakyeon’s sudden movements. “Sanghyuk filed to terminate your mentorship, saying that he’d finished training, and wanted to be instated as a proper hunter.”

Hakyeon gaped, throat feeling choked. “He— he _needs my approval for that_.”

“He doesn’t, actually, so long as it’s approved by another of higher rank than his mentor.”

Hakyeon felt like he’d been hit over the head. “You cant.”

“It’s already been approved, Hakyeon,” Kris said, very gently. “Sanghyuk filed last night, and it went through very quickly. He’s more than skilled enough to graduate from the trainee program, you know that.”

“So— so he’s—” Hakyeon gasped, struggling to pull in enough air.

“He’s no longer your protege, nor your concern.” Kris eyed him warily. “We’ve paired him with a fellow recent graduate, with Sanghyuk as the lead, and they’re out now on an experimental fishing trip. I think they’ll do well, and will make a good team.”

Slowly, Hakyeon sank back, slumping against the chair, dazed. 

There was a hitch between Kris’s eyebrows now. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this,” he said, quiet, “but that raises even more questions. What’s going on with you? Why would Sanghyuk not tell you about this? I need to know what’s happening to you, if there’s anything that can be done.” Kris leaned forward, placing his forearms on the table, eyes intent and concerned. “We have _resources_ Hakyeon, if you need help. You can’t be— like this, on the field. You’re dangerous, and it’s frightening. I know what a strong fighter you are, we can’t have you on the streets if you’re _snapping_.”

The edges of Hakyeon’s visions were fuzzy, dark, his chest feeling like it was being squeezed. Sanghyuk, Hakyeon’s last anchor to this job, and by proxy, to his old self, had just been sliced away from him, and now he was left floating. He didn’t know what to do, what this meant. For all that he’d told himself and others that he was ready to retire, he was frightened, he’d been a hunter for _so long_ , and now that the time was upon him he didn’t know how to give this part of himself up after all. 

He didn’t know who he was anymore.

“I’m not a loose canon,” Hakyeon said, feeling near tears. “I’m not— not crazy. I can do this. I’m _fine_.” He was trying to convince himself as well as Kris, and his words rang hollow.

“No, you’re not,” Kris said flatly, “you’re unpredictable and out of control, and in light of this—” He gestured at the sketch. “I think it’d be best if you laid low for a while. We can’t have you out on the streets when there’s VCF looking for you.”

“Are— are you suspending me?” Hakyeon stuttered.

“No, I am saying I think you should take some time off,” said Kris.

Hakyeon couldn’t believe this was happening. “I just took a night off!”

“Take another. Take five.”

“I don’t need a vacation,” Hakyeon said, shooting to his feet so for once he could loom over Kris as his voice grew in volume. “I’m not out of control, I don’t need coddling, and I don’t need time off!” By the end, he was shrieking, hands balled into fists by his side.

Slowly, movements very deliberate, Kris stood up as well, seeming to tower over Hakyeon. When he spoke, his voice was calm. “Go home, Hakyeon.”

Hakyeon’s chest was heaving sickly, like he’d just run a marathon, but he still couldn't seem to pull in enough air. He wanted to throw things, wanted to scream and rant and rave, but there were tears gathering in his eyes and damned if he was going to cry in front of Kris. So he gathered himself, straightening his spine even though he was still trembling, and stiffly walked out of Kris’s office. 

Once he was out into the hall he lowered his head, since he was unable to stop the tears from falling and he didn’t want anyone to see. Fuck, he’d been crying so much lately. 

He didn’t look up as he made his way through HQ and up into the night, and no one stopped him, though he knew a few people had seen him and registered something was wrong. Maybe that should have been disheartening, that no one wanted to offer him comfort, but Hakyeon was glad for it. 

On the street, he stumbled, feeling a little dizzy and unable to see through his watery eyes. He grabbed at a lamppost, leaning against it heavily. _Go home_ , Kris had said, but Hakyeon couldn’t. 

Hakyeon sniffled, dabbing at his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, and then he began to walk. 

It had been the better part of ten years since Hakyeon had first picked up a silver blade and walked into the night. Most hunters didn’t start so young, but then most hunters went through an organization, either legal or not. But Hakyeon had been a freelance hunter, with that being a fancy word for _rogue_. He hadn’t done it for hire, just for himself. He’d had nothing left to lose; all his siblings had fell to drugs or worse, poverty picking his mother to pieces before she died. He’d been so angry, was sick of living in fear. All he’d wanted was to make something of himself before he succumbed to what he was sure was going to be an early death anyway. 

Kris’s little organization had picked him up three years later, once Hakyeon had begun to make a name for himself in the underground. He’d revelled in the infamy, in the wash of respect and awe every new kill had brought him. 

But time, as it was wont to do, chipped away at him. As his life steadied out — as much as it could, with the job he had — as he made friends, as he grew older, the roaring anger dimmed. Because he wasn’t that boy anymore, wasn’t a lost teenager, with no one but himself. He’d grown into a warrior, a _legend_ , something greater than himself, something even vampires, for all the power they held over the humans of this world, had come to fear. Cha Hakyeon, _the_ hunter, full of fiery sunlight, utterly infallible. 

He'd ridden the high for as long as he could, pretending for years that he was still that soldier of light that he'd seen in the mirror when he was younger, the one that everyone else had seen. But it had become harder, as the years passed, to keep denying the grey inside of him, the grey inside all humans. 

Riding the high had been nice. Falling wasn't nearly as fun. 

He shook himself, taking a shuddery breath and rubbing his hands over his upper arms in an attempt to warm himself. “You can— you’re going to be alright, Hakyeon,” he whispered to himself, voice catching. “We’ll figure this out, we’ll make it right.”

But how? If he wasn’t a hunter, without that white light to take solace in, Hakyeon was just left with the other side of himself, the side that had broken pretty much every taboo in the book where vampires were concerned. The sick, fucked up part, that even now, didn’t regret the love he bore for Taekwoon, for Wonshik and Hongbin. Even though he knew they were _killing people_. It was an ugly part of him, that put his own feelings, his love and desires, above what he knew was right. And he didn’t want to be left with just that. 

He didn’t know _how_ to be just flawed, human Hakyeon. 

There was an alleyway up ahead, too familiar to be ominous, and as he turned to step into it his amulet pinged. 

The grate zinged against his palm, hinges silent as he pulled it up. He climbed down the ladder, making his way through the tunnels without having to think about it. The door, too, zinged against his hand, but like the grate, it let him open it. 

Taekwoon met him in the doorway, brow slightly furrowed in confusion. “Hakyeon? I thought you had work—” He cut himself off as he noted the redness around Hakyeon’s eyes. “What happened?”

“I—” Hakyeon began, and then Taekwoon touched him, the fingertips soft against his shoulders, and for some reason, it made the tears start up again. 

Taekwoon guided him to the couch, perching beside him, face a mask of concern and confusion. Hakyeon haltingly told him what had happened, being called to see Kris, the homeless man and VCF, Sanghyuk filing to end his mentorship, it being _approved_ , and then Hakyeon’s dismissal.

“No wonder you’re upset,” Taekwoon murmured, gently tucking Hakyeon in against his side. 

“I just— everything’s crashing down around me,” Hakyeon hiccuped. “And I couldn’t go home, because I— I don’t know what to do, I feel so lost I— I guess I need to talk to Sanghyuk and I'll— we'll work it out. And then I can go back to work and—”

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon interrupted, voice no less gentle for it, “I know this isn’t ideal, this isn't how you wanted things to go, but I think it would be best if maybe you took this as an opening to walk out.”

Hakyeon’s mouth worked for a moment. “What?”

“You said after Sanghyuk graduated from being a trainee, you’d retire. Given everything that’s been going on as of late— I think it might be best.”

“I know I said that but— but I wasn’t ready for it to be so soon. I can’t— I _can’t_ , I need more time, I need to— fix this—”

Taekwoon was frowning again, in confusion. “I thought you wanted to retire?” he said, lilting it just enough that it was a question. “You've been— Hakyeon, you've been so miserable, you don’t have the same fire in you anymore.”

“I'm not ready,” Hakyeon said, nearly begging.

“You are,” Taekwoon murmured. “It’s time, I think. It’s been time.”

Hakyeon shook his head. “I thought I was but I was— I was wrong.”

“Why?” Taekwoon asked, rubbing a hand down hakyeon’s back, trying to soothe him. “What changed?”

Despite Taekwoon’s efforts to keep Hakyeon level, he could feel his panic rising. “I just— I don’t— if I'm not a hunter I'm just— just—”

Something flashed in Taekwoon’s eyes, like a switch turning. “Ah. Just a human that's fallen in love with a monster?”

Hakyeon flinched, horrified. “You're not a monster,” he said, more harshly than he intended. “You’re not, you’re fucking perfect, Taekwoon. I'm not ashamed of you, I'm ashamed of myself. I've broken every taboo in the book, and that's on _me_ , not you. And being a hunter— it's my way of trying to wash some of that dirt away.”

“I'm not perfect, Hakyeon,” Taekwoon said, voice intent. “You know that. You _know_.”

For a moment, Hakyeon looked away. Yes, he knew. “You're perfect for me,” he amended, very softly.

“Then why are you ashamed?” Taekwoon murmured, touching Hakyeon’s chin, trying to get him to look up again.

“Because I'm not supposed to love a vampire,” Hakyeon whispered, refusing to meet Taekwoon’s eyes. “It's— it's—”

“Wrong?” Taekwoon asked, and Hakyeon's face twisted. “Why is it wrong?” Hakyeon fought for the right words but he took too long, and Taekwoon answered for him. “Because vampires are monsters.”

“You’re not a monster!” Hakyeon said again, getting frustrated because that wasn’t it at all.

“But that is why,” Taekwoon murmured, “that is why your society tells you it is wrong. But if I am not a monster, then is loving me nothing to be ashamed of after all?”

Hakyeon swallowed thickly. “Stop talking me in circles,” he grumbled. “It's just— it's— it's hypocritical of me, when I'm supposed to be someone who upholds a moral code, to go out and kill _some_ vamps but be perfectly willing to let others skate by, simply because of my own feelings for them. I am supposed to be an example. I'm a hunter. And instead I've just— just trodden on everything I was supposed to stand for. I feel like a liar, and a fraud.”

“Well,” Taekwoon said, a slight twinkle in his eyes, “isn't the most logical step then to stop being a hunter, so you may stop living a double life?”

Hakyeon scowled furiously. “No,” he said grumpily. Taekwoon stared at him, clearly trying not to smile, and Hakyeon begrudgingly added, “I don't know, Taekwoon.”

“Dearest,” Taekwoon said softly, taking Hakyeon’s hands in his carefully, all trace of amusement falling from his face, “you cannot be the hunter you once were, hold the beliefs you once had, and yet also love me, love Wonshik and Hongbin. It will tear you apart.” He added, barely audibly, “It has already been tearing you apart. Something must give.”

“I'm beginning to worry that the thing that's going to _give_ is my sanity,” Hakyeon muttered.

“No,” Taekwoon said, with an intensity that surprised Hakyeon, “no, I will not watch you fall to pieces like that. If you truly don’t want to give up hunting, if you wish to go back to your old life— we could— could stop this.”

Hakyeon gaped. The idea of them separating had never occurred to him. “ _What_? No,” he gasped. “No.”

“It was simpler for you, easier. You were more content then,” Taekwoon pointed out, face carefully blank.

“Is this some weird test?” Hakyeon asked, voice jarringly loud. “I'm in love with you. I’m head over fucking tea kettle in love with you. And even if we— if we stopped seeing one another— I don’t think I'd ever stop loving you. Do you— is this— do you want to stop?”

“In truth, I would rather suffer hellfire than be parted from you, in any capacity,” Taekwoon said, the sincerity of the statement making Hakyeon blush furiously. “But I have also been watching you, and you've grown sad, even though you've tried to hide it. The light in you is dimming. And I can’t help but wonder if it is my fault.” 

“It is most definitely not your fault,” Hakyeon said. Fuck, was Taekwoon— had he been festering in guilt, because of Hakyeon’s fucking existential crisis? This wasn’t his _fault_.

Carefully, Taekwoon cupped his cheeks. “Hakyeon, I just want you to be happy.”

“I love you,” Hakyeon said in a rush, wanting the sincerity of the words to sink into Taekwoon’s bones. “I'm happiest when I’m— when I’m with you.” 

And a voice in the back of his mind whispered that maybe, maybe that was all that really mattered.

“And I, with you,” Taekwoon murmured, before leaning in to press a quick, chaste kiss to Hakyeon’s lips. “You know, if you quit hunting, you'll have more time with me.”

“Taekwoon,” Hakyeon said, slightly exasperated. 

“You could move in.”

Hakyeon smiled, a little, turning his face away. “I'd have to,” he said, playing along, “since they pay my rent.”

“I'd be willing to install lights for you,” Taekwoon continued, relentless, “and get you an oven, so you can make my place smell like icky human food.”

“My cookies are not icky,” Hakyeon said, mildly indignant. 

Taekwoon smiled, and Hakyeon’s breath hitched. “Say you will.”

“I—” Hakyeon stuttered before he paused, swallowing thickly. “I can’t decide right now, I— I need to talk to Sanghyuk, before anything, and make sure— make sure he’s alright, you know— I can’t retire if he needs me—”

“Of course,” Taekwoon said agreeably, clearly indulging him. “We’ll go see him, in a little while.”

Hakyeon sniffled. “What if he won’t talk to me?”

“He will, he still loves you.” Taekwoon’s voice was certain.

Hakyeon knew he was looking at Taekwoon like an utter sap. He didn’t deserve Taekwoon, filthy, flawed person he was, but at least he knew it. “Why can’t we go now?”

“You are still upset, and I think it may be wise to wait a bit, and plan out what exactly you’re going to say,” Taekwoon said, ever the voice of reason, and Hakyeon saw the sense in his words. “Also, I would just like to hold you for a time.”

“Oh,” Hakyeon said, blushing again. He let Taekwoon tug him nearer, half into his lap, and rested his head against Taekwoon’s shoulder, revelling in his warmth.

——

"Well, that was fast," Sungjae said, and then he grinned at Sanghyuk.

Sanghyuk bent so he could wipe the blood off his blade, using his fallen prey's shirt. Female vamp, unusually tall, bad dye job. "Call it in," Sanghyuk said softly, straightening and tucking his blade back into its holster. 

Sungjae gave him a mock salute and then turned to leave the alleyway to do just that. Sanghyuk followed, stepping over the vamp’s body to do so. They stayed in the shadow of the building, the bass thumping out of the club, as Sungjae made the call. He kept his hand over his mouth and the receiver, so no one would be able to read his lips. 

Sanghyuk liked him. They had trained together, and he knew Sungjae would make a good partner. The boy was dumber than a box of hair, but that’s why Sanghyuk had been made the lead, which was perfectly fine with him. Preferable, really. 

“Alright,” Sungjae said into the receiver, and then he ended the call, grinning at Sanghyuk once more. “They said to leave the body and just come back in.” 

“Suits me,” Sanghyuk said, and when he smiled, it felt sharp, somehow. He’d been nervous, full of adrenaline, his first mission as a _proper_ hunter. Before they’d left, he’d had such an issue applying his eyeliner and styling his hair that Ilhoon, Sungjae’s close buddy from training, had had to do it for him. But for all Sanghyuk’s nerves, the fishing trip had gone off without a hitch, and now Sanghyuk was left to come down off the high. He felt so fucking good, heart pounding as he panted a bit.

As they walked, Sanghyuk’s wards continued to buzz, not because there was another vamp, but just because after going off, they were still active, alive. He was still excited, and so they were as well. He was too full of energy, trembling with it, to want to go back to headquarters. He felt too fucking alive to want to be cooped up underground. He wanted to scream with it.

Maybe he’d go and see Wonshik, he just needed to run, to get this out. Wonshik would be happy for him, would indulge his excitement. 

“Hey,” Sanghyuk said once they were a couple blocks away from HQ. He might be wanting to peel away but that didn’t mean he wanted to leave Sungjae to walk across town on his own. They were near enough now that the HQ building was in sight, so it was alright. “Did they say that we both needed to come back?”

Sungjae slowed, blinking at him. “Well, no, but I mean, we’ve got to do the paperwork.”

“Ah, well,” Sanghyuk said, slinging his arm around Sungjae’s shoulders, slightly awkward because Sungjae was a fucking beanpole and several inches taller, “see, that’s the beauty of us being official partners. Only one of us is needed to fill out the nightly report, since we’re technically a set.” He smiled, fluttering his eyelashes, caked in mascara as they were. “And since I was the bait tonight, I figured, you know, I deserve to go home and rest.” 

Sungjae elbowed him in the side, and Sanghyuk yelped, pulling away. “You’re the worst.” 

“Next time you can be bait,” Sanghyuk said laughingly, already tripping away. 

“Fat chance,” Sungjae said, but he waved at Sanghyuk, smiling goodnaturedly. “See you tomorrow night!”

Sanghyuk called out a vague affirmative and then he was speeding up, footsteps loud in the silence of the night as he began to run. The cold air burned his lungs, sharp and sweet. He couldn’t run all the way to Wonshik’s place, he realised, not even as pumped up as was, so he just headed home. If he wasn’t a little more level by the time he got there, he could always take a few extra laps around the block. 

He’d talk to Wonshik another night, and Hongbin too. Maybe even by that point Hakyeon would have come around—

Sanghyuk stopped running as his tattoos prickled, the sensation rippling over him in a wave. His hand was already inside his jacket, wrapping around the handle of his dagger, before he could even decide if there was actually a vamp nearby or if his wards were just refusing to settle. After a moment of stillness, his wards tugged, again, the sun on his back heating up, so no. It was a new vamp.

He was only a few blocks from his apartment, and he didn’t like the idea of continuing the rest of the way while he was being followed. If it had made him out as a hunter it might be trying to stake out where he lived. On the other hand, he didn’t like the idea of facing off against a vamp without any kind of backup. 

His heart was pounding anew, and he decided, fuck it, and pulled his blade out, so it glinted in the lights cast from the streetlamps, unmistakable. “I know you’re there,” he called to the seemingly empty street, head on a swivel, “so you can either get lost, or I can call some friends in and we’ll really have a party.” 

There was a whisper of movement to Sanghyuk’s right, and he turned, bringing the dagger up in an arc. The vamp caught his wrist, spinning him around and maintaining its grip even as Sanghyuk’s wards went off. Sanghyuk’s back hit the wall of a nearby building, far gentler than he’d been expecting, the vamp pinning his wrists to the bricks.

There was a grinning face in Sanghyuk’s vision, a face that was becoming quite familiar. “You are the literal worst,” Sanghyuk gasped, chest heaving. 

Jaehwan’s grin widened. “No need to be mean, love. I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you.”

“What were you trying to do, then?” Sanghyuk asked. He’d been calming down, but man, that had sent everything aflame again. 

“Surprise you.”

Sanghyuk squinted. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Not at all,” Jaehwan sniffed. He leaned in, inhaling at the base of Sanghyuk’s neck, and that _really_ wasn’t helping Sanghyuk’s heart rate. “You smell like blood, blood and exhilaration.” 

“I made a kill tonight,” Sanghyuk said, trying not to sound too proud of himself. For a brief moment, Jaehwan’s hands tightened on his wrists, and it reminded Sanghyuk where they were. Outside, under a clear sky, Sanghyuk pressed up against a brick wall. “So it’s vampire blood.” 

“Ah, that’s why you’re back a bit sooner than I anticipated,” Jaehwan murmured. He stepped away, and even though the only place Jaehwan had actually been touching Sanghyuk was his wrists, he still felt the loss of warmth all along his front.

Sanghyuk heaved in a cool lungful of air, then another. His face felt hot. Without stopping to think about it he reached out, closing his hand in the material of Jaehwan’s shirt and tugging. Jaehwan could have easily resisted, but he let himself step forward, let Sanghyuk pull him back until their fronts were pressed flush. Sanghyuk brought his arms up to wrap around Jaehwan’s neck, the motion making him arch, his face tipping back, and Jaehwan wordlessly obliged him, sealing his mouth over Sanghyuk’s. 

Jaehwan kissed him slowly, lazily, and Sanghyuk didn’t want that, so he nipped at Jaehwan’s bottom lip, a little too hard. Jaehwan gasped, and Sanghyuk felt his fangs slide out, flicked his tongue against the sharp points of them. It made him shudder.

“You are absolutely maddening,” Jaehwan murmured. “I thought you were miffed at me just now. You’re hot, then you’re cold, make up your mind.”

“I think I’m always going to be miffed at you,” Sanghyuk muttered, and he placed his hands on Jaehwan’s chest, pushing and maneuvering him until their positions were reversed and Jaehwan was the one with his back against the bricks, Sanghyuk pinning him there. He kissed Jaehwan again, and it was rougher, faster, since he was leading. It felt like his blood was singing in his veins, his skin sparking. 

When Sanghyuk pulled away, Jaehwan tried to lean down to follow the movement before he realized. It made Sanghyuk feel a little smug. “Have you ever had sex out in the open like this?” Sanghyuk asked softly.

Jaehwan blinked, slowly. “Yes.”

“Did you like it?”

Jaehwan paused several beats before he answered, and when he did speak, it sounded almost forced out. “Yes.”

Even though Sanghyuk sensed danger, he was driven to whisper, “I think I would as well.”

Jaehwan hissed out a breath, his hands tightening on Sanghyuk’s hips. “You are testing my promise to make _considerations_ for you, love.” 

“Good,” Sanghyuk said breathlessly, and Jaehwan growled.

——

Taekwoon was silent in the passenger seat of Hakyeon’s car, stoic as always, but his hand was resting, warm, on Hakyeon’s thigh as he drove. It grounded Hakyeon, a little, kept his heart fluttering pleasantly. 

When Hakyeon pulled up in front of Sanghyuk’s building, he had to take a steadying breath before he cut the engine. 

“Ready?” Taekwoon asked, his soft voice lilting. He gently squeezed Hakyeon’s thigh, reassuring.

Hakyeon nodded, smiling at Taekwoon weakly, like Taekwoon was the one who needed reassurance. He was just so worried Sanghyuk was furious with him, that filing for termination of Hakyeon’s mentorship meant he hated Hakyeon. Taekwoon had assured him that wasn’t the case, that Sanghyuk was just trying to be his own person, but Hakyeon _worried_. He really loved Sanghyuk, didn’t want to lose him like this, over Jaehwan, of all things.

Hakyeon got out of the car, Taekwoon following, and Hakyeon winced a little. He wanted to do this alone, and so he turned to Taekwoon to say just that, but Taekwoon wasn’t looking at him. He had his eyes fixed down the street, a frown settled heavily between his brows.

“What is it?” Hakyeon asked. 

Taekwoon sniffed, and when he turned back to Hakyeon, his expression had smoothed out. “Nothing.” 

“Alright,” Hakyeon said unsurely, too nervous to worry about it. “Could you— I mean— I’d like to talk to Sanghyuk alone.” He smiled, more like a grimace. “Would you wait here for me?”

Taekwoon’s expression was unreadable, but he nodded, moving to stand beside the door to the building, heavy in shadows.

Hakyeon patted his shoulder as he passed him, going into the building and beginning to ascend the stairs. He had a key to Sanghyuk’s place, but he didn’t want to just barge in, so he knocked, three times. 

There was no answer. “Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon said, knocking again, a little louder. “It’s me, can we talk?”

There was still no reply, and Hakyeon wondered if maybe he was still at work. If that was the case he’d fucking camp out here until he got home. 

He knocked again, just in case Sanghyuk was showering or something, positively pounding on the door, and was rewarded by the sound of the deadbolt sliding back. He dropped his hands and then froze, staring, as the door swung open to reveal a very mussed up Sanghyuk. His clothes were rumpled, face flushed, and his mouth was swollen, bottom lip shining in the dim light. 

Sanghyuk stared back, half hiding behind the door before he apparently decided that was useless, and he opened it fully. The feeling of vampire spilled out, toxic and thick, and Hakyeon had to bite the tip of his tongue, and remind himself why he was here. 

“Hello, Sanghyuk,” he said stiffly. 

“Hey,” Sanghyuk replied, a little breathless. His voice was oddly hoarse, and Hakyeon resolved to not think about it, because he really didn’t need the mental image of Sanghyuk on his knees. “Hakyeon, I wasn’t— I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Obviously,” Hakyeon grumbled. “I was here because— I got the news, tonight.” Sanghyuk looked away. “How was your fishing trip? And who’s your partner?”

“Sungjae,” Sanghyuk mumbled, and Hakyeon frowned. That kid was a basket case. “And it went fine, we got a bite and I— I handled it.” 

“Good,” Hakyeon replied, feeling a little numb. “That’s— that’s good.” 

“Hakyeon, I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about it first,” Sanghyuk said. “I just— I knew you’d be upset, and you’d fight it but— I was ready, you know?”

Hakyeon swallowed thickly. “Yeah.” There was a pause, where Hakyeon didn’t know what to say. He knew he needed to apologize, but it hurt. Sanghyuk spoke again, before he could find his words.

“I thought you’d be angry,” Sanghyuk admitted.

Hakyeon fought not to wince. “No, I’m not, mostly I’m just— I don’t know. It stung a bit, I guess. But after everything that’s happened recently, I understand.”

Sanghyuk frowned. “I didn’t do it because I was mad at you, Hakyeon. It wasn’t a spite thing. You were a great mentor, really great. But it was time, you trained me well and I was ready. I _wanted_ to. That was all. And I thought, you know, you’ve become more than a mentor, we’re friends, and maybe if you weren’t my mentor anymore it would make things easier. It would make being friends easier.”

 _It would make us equals, make it so you no longer have to worry about taking care of me the same way_ , is what Hakyeon knew Sanghyuk meant. “I’m a busybody even to my friends, Sanghyuk.”

“I think I can handle it better now,” Sanghyuk said, shrugging. 

Hakyeon smiled, lopsided. “Well, I’m sorry, anyway. I shouldn’t have— I thought I was helping, but I wasn’t. And I’m sorry for that, Sanghyuk. I can’t be sorry that I don’t approve of this— this thing you have with Jaehwan, because he’s a dick,” he said this part a little loudly, because he knew Jaehwan was in the apartment somewhere, no doubt listening, “but I’m sorry I overstepped a boundary and meddled in a way that I shouldn’t have.” 

Sanghyuk stared at him, a little unsure, like he was waiting for Hakyeon to launch into a lecture again anyway. It made Hakyeon feel a little guilty. “Thanks,” Sanghyuk muttered. “I appreciate the apology.”

Hakyeon wanted to hug him, but Sanghyuk was still very mussed up, and Hakyeon didn’t want to be contaminated with Jaehwan germs, so he held off. “I just worry, you know, Sanghyuk. In the end, I just want you to be happy, and Jaehwan being a dick aside— it’s hard, you know? It’s hard to be a hunter, to go out and kill vampires, and yet also be intimately involved with other vampires.” Hakyeon knew that far too well.

Sanghyuk mused over that for a moment before shrugging again. “Yeah, I know. But it’s like— a while ago Jaehwan told me that I should just worry about what I _want_ , and not think about anything else. And, you’re right, he’s an asshole, and he was only saying it to get me to sleep with him, but he’s right too, you know? No one sees what we see, as hunters, as _us_ , no one else can set rules for us when they don’t know what we know. We just have to make our own judgement as each situation arises, and act as we see fit.” He met Hakyeon’s gaze, eyes level and clear. “I’m done trying to live by other people’s standards, not just yours, Hakyeon, but— everyone. Everyone else’s. I am going to do what I think is best for me, what will make me happiest. I think, with all the grey territory we’re traversing, it’s the best way to go.”

Hakyeon blinked, gaping a little. “I— yeah, that seems wise.”

Sanghyuk smiled at him, gentle, sweet. “So, like I said, it wasn’t anything personal, Hakyeon, I’m just— I’m just doing what I think is best. I still love you.”

Hakyeon tried to shake himself, and connect himself back to the conversation they _were_ having, before Sanghyuk had just spouted a few words of wisdom that had yanked the rug out from underneath Hakyeon's feet. Hakyeon, ever since he’d gotten involved with Taekwoon, had been struggling with the morality of it all. He’d been trying to reconcile it for _months_ , and then five days after fucking Jaehwan, Sanghyuk had managed to get over the same issue with seemingly no trouble at all.

He began to laugh, a little haltingly, at the ridiculousness of it all. Sanghyuk’s smile turned bewildered. “Yeah,” Hakyeon said, voice weak as his laughter subsided, “I still love you too.” 

“So, we’re alright?” Sanghyuk asked.

Hakyeon knew Sanghyuk was ready to close the door, to resume— whatever it was Hakyeon had interrupted. He was not alright with that, but he needed to get over it. “Yes, we’re alright, I suppose.”

“Good,” Sanghyuk said, smile brightening anew, “see you, Hakyeon.”

The door closed gently in Hakyeon’s face.

Hakyeon turned, walking down the stairs as if in a dream. “Just worry about what I want, huh?” he whispered to himself, taking the steps slowly. What _did_ Hakyeon want?

When he made it back outside, Taekwoon was still there. He looked at Hakyeon a little curiously, and Hakyeon knew he must look strange. “Are you alright?”

“Jaehwan’s in there with Sanghyuk,” Hakyeon said, not answering the question. 

An expression passed over Taekwoon ‘s face remarkably like pity. “Yes, I know.”

Hakyeon sighed. “He seems— he seems alright though. Sanghyuk.”

“He does not wish for you to return as his mentor?” Taekwoon asked. 

“No,” Hakyeon murmured, and he went to Taekwoon’s side, wrapping his arms around his middle, “but it doesn’t matter, because I don’t want to go back there, anyway.”

“Mm?” Taekwoon hummed, wrapping an arm around Hakyeon’s shoulder.

“I want to move in with you,” Hakyeon whispered, “I want to quit hunting.”

Taekwoon kissed the top of his head. “Mm.”

They climbed back into Hakyeon’s car, and Taekwoon kept his hand on Hakyeon’s thigh again as they headed home.


End file.
